1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate to a heat exchanger fixing structure of an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a heat exchanger fixing structure of an air conditioner capable of fixing a plurality of heat exchangers without using a separate bracket.
2. Description of Related Art
An air conditioner is a device for regulating temperature, humidity, and the like, using a refrigerating cycle appropriately for human beings' activities and removing dust, or the like, in the air. The air conditioner includes an evaporator evaporating a refrigerant to cool the surrounding atmosphere, a compressor compressing a gaseous refrigerant emanated from the evaporator to a high temperature high pressure state, a condenser condensing the gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor to a liquid state at room temperature, an expansion valve decompresses the high pressure refrigerant in a liquid state emanated from the condenser, and the like.
Air conditioners may be classified as a separation-type air conditioner and an integration-type air conditioner. The separation-type air conditioner includes an indoor unit installed in an indoor area to suck indoor air to heat-exchange it with a refrigerant and discharge heat-exchanged air to the indoor area and an outdoor unit heat-exchanging a refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit with ambient air such that the refrigerant can be heat-exchanged with indoor air again, and supplying the refrigerant to the indoor unit. In general, a compressor and a condenser are installed in the outdoor unit, and a control box including an electric/electronic component controlling the outdoor unit is provided within the outdoor unit. The expansion valve may be provided in either the indoor unit or the outdoor unit, and the evaporator is positioned in the indoor unit. A heat exchanger in which heat transmission is performed refers to the condenser and the evaporator.
The heat exchanger is generally manufactured to have a plate shape. In order to increase a heat transmission area, a plurality of plate-shaped heat exchangers are provided to overlap each other in multiple layers.
The heat exchangers overlapping each other (or superimposed on each other) in multiple layers are installed in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit. The heat exchangers have a shape of an elongated rectangular plate to increase a heat transfer area. In order to install the elongated rectangular plate-shaped heat exchanger in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit, one end of the heat exchanger is bent.
The heat exchangers superimposed in multiple layers with one end bent may be damaged when moved unless appropriately fixed. Also, when the heat exchangers are actuated, vibration and noise may be generated between the heat exchangers due to a collision and interference therebetween.
In order to prevent this, in the related art, the plurality of heat exchangers in the multiple layers are fixed using a fixing bracket provided on a side surface of the bent end portion of each of the heat exchangers. However, since addition of such a separate component increases material cost and time for an operation required for aligning the fixing bracket and the end portions of the heat exchangers is lengthened to degrade production efficiency.
Thus, a method for rapidly fixing the side surface of the bent end portion of the heat exchanger without adding a separate component is urgently required.